Embers of a Burning Sky
by Nikuman-Dango
Summary: One can never be sure of the future, nor what it can bring; when a bundle is found by Konoha's ANBU black OPS and transferred over to Tsunade, she finds that some things aren't as impossible as they may seem... and maybe it's a good thing. (Unknown Intentions Rewrite.) NaruGaaNaru shounen-ai, Sakura bashing. Rated T for suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

_This_... this was... unprecedented, unfathomable, unrealistic, impossible even, had one suggested it... yet here it was; laying innocently on her desk, staring with those deep, blue eyes. A polished, red fingernail found its way into the crimson lips as the woman behind the desk stared. Behind her stood her assistant, blissfully unaware of the gravity that this situation held. The woman stood, chair falling to the floor in her haste, and picked up the bundle from the desk, storming violently from the room. She passed by many people in silence, striding quickly through the halls of the building until she reached the exit. Trailing behind, the dark haired assistant followed, tripping in her heels trying to catch her leader; The Hokage of Konoha. Blonde hair flowing behind, tied in long, neat pigtails, her stride sure and confident; this was Tsunade. One of the three Sannin, the best medical ninja in their time, and simply strong minded and equipped with the Will of Fire. This kunoichi, a medical genius in her own right, now had a problem on her hands. A very, _small_ and_ living_ problem.

* * *

_(Naruto POV)_  
Tears were falling from the young mans face as he cried, teeth gritted in agony;  
"_Nazeda? Why did Gaara have to die like this_?"  
The boy stepped closer, stopping near the still warm body of the deceased redhead.  
"_You're the Kazekage, dammit...! You just became the Kazekage!"_ He cried.  
"...Calm yourself, Uzumaki Naruto."  
Naruto rounded on the woman, Chiyo, tears flying and face contorted in agony and anger;  
_"URASEI_! _It's your fault_! If you dammed Sand shinobi hadn't put that _monster_ inside him, this would have never happened! Do you have any idea what kind of burden he carried!?"  
There was silence from the surrounding shinobi, their heads bowing in shame as the realization hit.  
"Damn the Jinchuuriki..." he began again, "You have no right to act like your better, to label us and use us..."  
His legs faltered, shifting in the soft grass under them as he cried, fat tears leaking into the soil as he lamented in the shame he pushed upon himself. He tried to choke back his tears, he had lost another friend. A friend he had considered equal to him, who had experienced loneliness, and been shunned... someone with the same story as him...  
"I couldn't save Sasuke... I couldn't save Gaara... I trained so hard for three years, and nothings changed..."  
He continued to cry into his sleeve as Chiyo slowly passed by him, making her way to Gaara and kneeling by him. Naruto looked up, watching as a light breeze ruffled the fallen leaders burning red hair. His face almost peaceful as he lay still in the grass. Chiyo's eyes closed as another breeze blew by and Naruto turned fully to the old woman. She laid her hand against the redheads heart and ignited a burst of chakra in her palms, directly over Gaara's chest. Naruto stared in confusion as an immense rebound flowed in ripples from her hands. Sakura's eye's widened from over Naruto's shoulder;  
"Chiyo-baasama!_ Ano jitsu wa...!"_  
The blonde looked to his teammate as Chiyo turned and gave the pink-haired girl a sly smile.

"It wasn't medical ninjitsu... it was a _life-transferring ninjitsu. Elder Chiyo is dead_."  
Naruto's eyes widened as realization hit.  
"Life-transferring Ninjitsu?" Tenten asked slowly.  
"Wh-What so you mean!?" Naruto cried.  
"It's a jitsu that allows you to bring back the dead, in exchange for your own life." Kankuro answered. Naruto flinched.  
"Many years ago, the Puppet Brigades were conducting research on how to bring their puppets to life. Elder Chiyo was at the head of this research."  
Naruto turned to Sakura and the fallen Elder sadly as Kankuro continued;  
"They were able to figure out the theory behind it, but... in the midst of their research, they decided it was too risky. They made it illegal to conduct the research on humans and forbade anyone to use the technique.  
Naruto paused, recalling the conversation with the Elder;  
_"I'm happy that someone like you has appeared in the shinobi worl we foolish old people created... Everything I've ever done was a mistake, but now, at the end, it looks like i'll finally be able to do the right thing. Sunato... Konoha... their future will be much different than the way things were back in my day..."_  
Naruto stood slowly, staring still at the woman.  
_"That strange power of yours that Kakashi mentioned... That power will have a strong influence on the future. Become a Hokage like none before you..."_

Gaara looked over at the Elder, still somewhat foggy, as he listened to the conversation Naruto and his brother, Kankuro, were having.  
"_Naruto, you really are a strange person."_  
Naruto looked over at the speaker, Gaara's sister, Temari.  
"You have the power to change people... Elder Chiyo was always saying that she didn't care what happened to the village. She wasn't the type of person who would do this for Gaara."  
"Elder Chiyo has placed the future in both your and Gaara's hands. A splendid end, befitting a true shinobi..." Kakashi added quietly. Naruto hummed in agreement;  
"_Just like the third_... I really understand how she felt now."  
Matsuri, Gaaras previous pupil, squeaked as Gaara attempted to stand, grabbing his arm. He shrugged her off;  
"I'm fine." He muttered, his voice scratchy, unused, and tried to stand again. His muscles were tired, left unmoved for too long and he left it as his legs refused to hold his weight and he fell forward. A hand grasped his upper arm, a sensitive area on his body. He was rarely touched, by anyone, and turned to see who it was. He was met with the profile of Naruto, blue eyes still focusing on the elder. Gaara turned away, allowing Naruto to help him to his feet. Naruto let his hand slid down the back of Gaara's arm as he released the other ninja gently. Both males slowly approached the Elder, sitting still in the pink ninja's arms, and stopped in front of them.  
"Minna, pray for Elder Chiyo." Gaara said quietly, but enough for the small group to hear, and bowed his head.

* * *

Tsunade stared at the bundle in silent panic, whoever did this was clearly not in their right mind. Who would be to create something like this? Something so... dangerous, so precarious, so _unstable?_ She bit her thumbnail gently, clicking her tongue as she thought. Maybe... maybe this could be a good thing. Perhaps they could... tame this beast and use it as a last resort in times of war. She removed her finger and shook her head angrily. Of course she couldn't do that. If Naruto ever heard of it, she would be in a world of trouble. Not to mention it was against her every instinct to do something so horrible...  
"Tsunade-sama... what will we do?" asked Shizune quietly from behind. The leader sighed;  
"_It looks like we'll be doing a helluva lot more paperwork." _she muttered.

* * *

* Nazeda?; why?  
**Urasei!; shut up!  
*** Ano jitsu wa...!; That jitsu will...!  
**** Minna; everyone.

**A/N; Please tell me if I misspelled anything, or if something is off. I will fix it as soon as I can. I hope you enjoy it, it is much better than the last. Sorry for changing it again. **


	2. Chapter 2

(_Naruto)_  
It was the morning after Naruto had returned from his mission in Sunagakure. He had enjoyed seeing the sand ninja he hadn't been in touch with for two and a half years... and he still couldn't believe that Gaara had become Kazekage in such a short amount of time, but the redhead was never to be underestimated. He was a very skilled ninja, and a good friend of Naruto's... Of course, he was disappointed that the Akatsuki had no information on Sasuke, but all in good time. The blonde sat down on a stool inside the booth, smiling happily at the man behind the counter.  
"Jii-chan, gimme a pork ramen!" He cried, snapping his chopsticks apart and rubbing them together enthusiastically. The man smiled and began to prepare the food for the young shinobi. The wait was accompanied by happy humming from Naruto and the sound of boiling broth and cooking noodles from the kitchen in the booth.  
"_Natskushinaa~!_" Naruto hummed, remembering his time here with his sensei, Iruka, when he was young. A smile formed on his face, and he giggled a little, remembering the pranks he used to play; Like the time he had painted on the Hokage mountain... and the time he had tricked the closet pervert, Ebisu, with that sign... His face took on a lewd expression. Good times...  
"_Na-Ru-To...!"_  
Said blonde looked up, creepy leer still in full effect, to see Sakura. He reeled, horrified, as her fist made contact with the side of his face.  
"_Anta_! You're thinking perverted thoughts again aren't you!?" She cried, face contorted in anger as Naruto pried himself from the side of a building, nose pouring blood as he shuddered;  
"_N-no_! I wasn't!" He cried, not _too_ far from the truth. She placed her hands on her hips and stomped forward slowly;  
"Oh _really_? Then why don't I believe you?" She said snidely, terrifying grin on her face as she prepared to hit him again. Naruto floundered, both for words and in fear; he was going to be killed!  
"Sakura-kun..."  
The pink haired ninja froze and immediately moved aside for the woman; Shizune, Tsunade's assistant.  
"Naruto, come with me, please?" she asked, turning and striding away quickly, heels clicking on the stone street. Naruto looked from his teammate to the assistant before standing and rushing to catch the woman.

Shizune lead him to the Hokage building and up to Tsunade's office before knocking on the door and speaking;  
"Tsunade-sama, I brought Naruto... I thought you might want to speak to him..." She called. Naruto cringed as he heard Tsunade growl.  
"Yada! Take that brat back where you found him! I don't have time for him right now!" She screamed, obviously angry with Shizune's need to take the stupidest things into her own hands. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck as she backed away from the door carefully, smiling apologeticly at Naruto. His face dropped into an annoyed expression and Naruto simply walked forward and opened the door to her office and strode in, looking around. His jaw dropped at what he say sitting quite still and staring inventively back at him.  
"Tsu-Tsu-Tsu-Tsunade-baachan! Wh-wh-wh-!?" He cried, pointing to the boy. The woman gritted her teeth as Naruto stared. It went on like this for a moment before Naruto slowly crept forward and stood in front of the bundle. Tsunade's fuming came to a peak and she suddenly screamed, turning on Shizune;  
"_You!_ Why did you bring him in here!? Didn't I tell you_ not_ to do this!? It's the same as going to the elders because you don't like the way I do things! You are_ not_ the leader here! _Don't do as you please!" _She shouted.  
"He... he looks like Gaara." Naruto suddenly murmured, leaning forward and reaching out as if to touch the silky locks of the child sitting before him. It cooed happily and leaned forward to receive the attention, small arms reaching for Naruto. Shizune watched in awe as the two slowly came closer... and Naruto ducked, dodging a senbon aimed for his neck. Both Shizune and Naruto looked to see Tsunade armed with more needles.  
"_Do not_ touch that child, Naruto. That is an order from your Hokage." She said, voice commanding and daring the blonde to defy her. Naruto retracted his hand and placed it by his side and looking sadly at the floor. Shizune's mouth opened to protest, but she closed it as soon as the Hokage's glare was turned to her.

* * *

_(Tsunade pov_)

The baby on the desk, she calculated, was a bit older than one. His body was normal, skin covered all of it, there were no signs of experimentation in his blood no chakra, and his brain seemed to function normally. This only seemed to confuse the woman more as she placed her senbon back in her pouch and strode forward quietly. This boy, she knew, was a mixture of two types of DNA mixed with the owners Chakra... so why did it have_ three_ chakra signatures? It was almost like he was a... realization hit her then, as she stepped away from the child. Had a new tailed beast formed inside this child? How could she tell if he had no visible seal nor way of finding out who really created him. Was it _Orochimaru_? Or Kabuto? Someone working for them? Just a rouge ninja? She frowned as a theory came to mind. Looking up, she decided that trying it would be risky, but not to risky._ Hopefully... _

* * *

_(Naruto)_

Glass was flying at a rapid pace throughout the office, and Naruto was horrified. How could Tsunade just throw a child out the window!? Without thinking, he dove out after it. Wind whipping in his hair and across his face and body... it would have been thrilling had he not been so concerned with saving the child's life. He tucked in his arms and tilted forward slightly, speeding up, and reached out to catch the child but his fingers weren't long enough, and the ground was right underneath them now, leaving no time to think. He lunged forward, grabbing the child and hugging him to his chest as he hit the ground. The force of the impact cracked the stone ground and left a small crater in his wake as the dust cleared and several people circled around him. Naruto blinked a few times, trying to get the spots out of his eyes, as he rolled over and uncurled. The child was perfectly fine, clutching to his jacket in fear, sobbing quietly. Naruto smiled slightly and held the boy close, his hand sheltering it from all the curious eyes and unwanted attention. The child was small, he noticed, fitting easily against his chest as he lifted it up. He placed the boys head in the crook of his neck and gently unzipped his jacket and re-zipped it with the naked child inside. At least this way, he wouldn't get cold... and then Naruto saw the sky between the red strands of hair. It was burning crimson, like a fire... like Gaara's hair... and suddenly, he missed the stoic leader.

"_You threw him out the window!"_  
"And you caught him."  
"_He could have been hurt! Killed even!_" Naruto cried, still holing the child in his jacket. Tsunade sighed.  
"But he didn't, did he? So drop it." She muttered, writing something down and handing it to an ANBU member. Naruto jumped as he nodded and left the room in a cloud of smoke, leaving a single leaf in his wake.  
"Now, I have a mission for you." Tsunade said, turning to him. Naruto took a step back, the look in her eyes was one he hated. A look of slight contempt and _fear_.  
"I need you to watch him for now, keep him away from _everyone_d. He cannot be known about until I say_, o you understand?"_  
Naruto nodded.  
"Good, then report back here in three days and _don't_ leave him alone."

He had been at home for five minutes and already he was bored. Stupid '_mission_'... this was just babysitting a kid no one wanted... He sighed at the harshness of his own thoughts. Of course he didn't really mind, but it was annoying not being able to do_ anything_. He sighed and gently placed the sleeping child on the bed before busying himself cleaning the dusty apartment. It had been a while, and Naruto hadn't gotten the chance to clean his apartment, and it really was no place for a child to be living... He picked up some garbage and put it into a bag, then used a dirty shirt to dust off his dresser and bookshelf. He continued this until he entered the kitchen to find it was completely empty. Naruto's face flattened into a frown. How was he supposed to go shopping like this?

A sly smile came to his face. Tsunade had said not to leave the kid _alone, _right?... so he wouldn't;  
"Kagebunshin no jitsu!"  
A single bunshin appeared before him in the small apartment and it smiled;  
"Yo."  
Naruto grinned.  
"Yeah, I need to go get some stuff..." He said, then turned and pointed at the sleeping boy on the bed, "So you stay here with him while I'm gone, ne?"  
The bunshin nodded and flopped down onto the floor, watchting as Naruto left the building.

* * *

***Natskushina; Nostalgic, brings back memories.**  
****Anta!; You!**  
*****Yada!; No!**


	3. Chapter 3

_(Sakura pov)_  
Sakura approached the door of Naruto's apart slowly, basket in hand. She was bringing some sort of food for a _'top secret'_ mission had somehow gotten his hands on. A tick appeared on her forehead; _why should Naruto get all the good missions? She was Tsunades student! Surely she had some sort of favor in the Hokage's eyes..._  
She shook her head, now was not the time for complaining. Now was the time to go and give Naruto this... _food?_ Then she would ask him to let her in, and maybe she could find out some clues as to what was going on... She scaled the last step of the stairs and turned, heading for the door under the heavy roof. It wouldn't be the first time she had been to his house, but she had never been able to go inside. The door was painted in a fading green color and had the signature leaf on the front, allowing a peep hole from the center. She knocked twice and waited for an answer... a minute passed and the tick returned as she knocked harder. No answer.  
"_Mou_... Naruto, open up!" She shouted, banging her fist against the wooden door and splintering it slightly. She stopped and looked at the imprint her hand had left on the surface, a drop of sweat dripping down the back of her head. She crossed her arms, basket hanging limply from her left elbow as she began to pout. This was no way to treat a guest bringing food! How dare he!_ That..._  
_"BAKA!"_ She screamed, punching the door. It burst in, shreds flying everywhere and splinters implanting themselves in her glove. She looked up, surprised at her own temper when she saw Naruto run into the room wearing only a towel. Her hands flew up to hide her eyes as she threw the basket at the half naked male, red blush over her cheeks;  
"Naruto! What are you doing! Put some clothes on!" She cried, hand pulled back to attack. Naruto shrieked.  
_"Sakura-chan!_ What're you doing here!?" The basket was used to cover his hips, as well as the towel, as he blushed red. She calmed slightly and pointed forward;  
"Go get dressed! We'll talk when your done!" she cried, and Naruto complied, running for his dresser and pulling out the orange pants and a pair of boxers. Sakura averted her gaze until she heard the bathroom door close before inviting herself in and sitting down on the genin's bed. She bounced slightly, the mattress was firm but comfortable. It was very nice, she decided, laying down on her back and staring at the ceiling as she waited for the other to return. It took a minute, but Naruto finally exited the bathroom and stood idly near the bed, allowing the girl space. She smiled slightly;  
"So I heard you have a _'top secret_' mission you're supposed to be doing, so why are you here?" She asked, eye's closed as she tried to smile wider. Naruto scratched his cheek and looked away, unsure of what to tell her.  
"W-well, i'm not supposed to tell anyone about it, Sakura-chan..." He tried, a bead of sweat forming on his temple. Sakura's eyes narrowed before she resumed her smile;  
"I understand, I just thought it might be exciting to have a special mission..." She trailed off, cheeks turning pink and eye's facing the floor. Maybe this approach would make him drop a hint...  
"S-sakura-chan, I _can't_." Naruto muttered, his own eyes facing the floor and slight frown on his features. Sakura sighed, at least he was following orders.  
Sakura stood and smiled again, making her way out of the apartment. She paused in the doorway and turned to the blonde;  
"See you, Naruto! Enjoy whatever is in that basket, it's from Hokage-sama."  
Naruto nodded and waved half heartedly as she strode away. 

* * *

(_Naruto pov_)  
Naruto had just finished picking up his groceries, several packs of instant ramen and a few cup ramen, he had even gotten a pack of _fish cakes_! A large, slightly obscene grin planted itself on his face as he continued on his way home, walking past Kiba without noticing.  
"Oi, is that you Naruto?"  
The blonde turned around and looked to see who was addressing him;  
"Kiba! What're you doing out here?" He asked, grin becoming more friendly. Kiba grinned himself and jabbed his thumb over his right shoulder.  
"I was just here waitin' on Hinata. We're supposed to do some training." Naruto frowned.  
"But it's like, seven o'clock already. Why so late?"  
Kiba sighed;  
"It was her idea, I don't particularly care." Kiba muttered. Naruto chuckled a little at his friends easy nature.  
"Kiba-kun! Kiba-kun, I'm here!" a quite voice called. Both boys turned to Hinata as she jogged up to meet them. Kiba smiled and Akamaru barked his greeting as Naruto smiled and shifted on his feet. Hinata's face reddened.  
"_N-naruto-kun_! H-hello. A-are you c-coming to t-train with us?" She stuttered. Naruto smiled wider and shook his head.  
"Nope, not today. Maybe another time." He said, taking a step back, "I've gotta go!"  
Kiba and Hinata waved, and he continued on, wanting to get back and eat before he went to sleep...

His door was... _not there_. There was no trace of his door! What had happened here!?_ Was the baby okay!?_ Where was his bunshin? Naruto ran inside his house and tossed the bags onto the kitchen counter before searching for the little redhead. He looked in the bathroom, and all over the kitchen before moving into the main room and seeing the Bunshin curled up with the small child in his arms. He sighed and released the Jitsu, climbing onto the bed and lifting the boy up into his arms. The small blue eye's stared up at him, a contented look in them, as Naruto carried him into the kitchen. Now that the bunshin had dispersed, he knew what had happened, strangely enough, and that the bag was full of Tsunade's home-made baby food. Naruto opened one of the small containers and smelled the contents, it wasn't that bad he supposed... so he scooped some out and gently prodded the spoon towards the child. The little redhead turned his head away, and Naruto twitched.  
"_Hey, come on_. Just try a _little_ bit..." Naruto prodded. The boy looked back at him and then to the spoon. Naruto gently placed the spoon on the boy's bottom lip, and he turned away again. A tick appeared on Naruto's forehead as he removed the spoon from the boy's face and chucked the contents down the sink drain. He opened another container and smelled it. It smelled like celery, so he closed it again and opened another; apple sauce. That seemed good enough, so Naruto scooped some onto the spoon and lifted it to the child's face. The redhead looked at it for a moment before turning his head away again. Naruto's tick grew larger as he threw the substance in the sink and searched for another flavor; _Radish?_ No. _Beans?_ Absolutely not. Something that smelled like _banana_, another that looked like _persimmons_ and lastly... something that looked_ completely inedible_. So Naruto took a spoonful of Banana and pushed it towards the boy, it was rejected. He tried the beans, no dice.  
"_ARGH!_ Look _Gaara_, you have to eat something! I'm not gonna let you-..." The blonde stopped, had he just called the little redhead Gaara? He sighed and opened the last can and held it out to the kid, allowing the little one to inspect it. The boy smelled it and smiled, dipping his fingers into the pasty brown mush and lifting it to his mouth. Naruto watched in disgust as the smelly substance was eaten and a happy baby noise was emitted from the small child. He shook his head and went to the stove and started some hot water. He seriously needed to eat.

* * *

_(Sakura pov)  
_She still couldn't believe it, even after she had seen it with her own eyes... Naruto had a..._ a child_ in there! She jumped down from her perch near the window and shook her head. Why had_ Naruto_ been given a mission to watch over a child? Why hadn't it been_ her?_ She was a medi-nin for gods sake! She knew everything about babies and children! She would have been the_ perfect_ one for this mission! That stupid Naruto! Always doing this to her, it wasn't fair! Why did an idiot like him get all the attention? She trained hard for two years as well! She had become one of the best medical ninja's in the village and she had also been taught some special jitsu from the_ Godime_! She stood seething in the street for a minute before deciding to go and confront the problem. It was time to talk to Naruto.

Sakura stormed up the stairs and to Naruto's apartment, bashing in the newly fixed door and catching the blonde by surprise.  
"S-s-s-sakura-chan!?" He squeeked, covering the baby with his back as he shifted away from the form of his teammate. Killing intent was radiating off her, pure bloodlust aimed at the blonde as he snatched the redhead boy and jumped out the window with him. Sakura followed, chasing the pair as they fled across the roves of Konoha.  
"Na-Ru-Tooo! Where did you get that baby!?" She screeched, high pitched and angry. Naruto visibly flinched as he sped up, aiming for the hokage's office. It was late now, most likely around nine thirty PM as they continued in the darkness. There were still people on the streets and some shops were still open, but the town was mostly silent as the two made their way to the very center of the town. Naruto burst in the closed window of Tsunade's office, Sakura right on his tail as he rolled away from the shattered remains of the glass. Sakura was screaming random gibberish and a few profanities as she descended on Naruto and the baby... 

* * *

(Naruto)  
Naruto opened one eye, his arms still shielding his face, and saw Shizune talking with Sakura and Tsunade fuming behind her. He wasn't quite sure what had happened. First he was fast asleep with the boy in his arms, and the next thing he knew Sakura was chasing him through the village and screaming. Of course, she did that anyways, but this time was different. She still had bloodlust pouring off her in waves when she would glance at the blonde. Naruto sighed. He wasn't quite sure what he'd done this time, but he was sure to hear of it later on. For now he settled on getting Tsunades attention.  
"Oi, Tsunade no baachan. _Tsunade-baachan_!" He called. The woman turned and stalked over to him, a frown set on her face.  
"What is it, _brat_?" She asked, crouching in front of him.  
"_What am I supposed to do now?_ Sakura found out about him, and was screaming about it... you aren't gonna take him are you?" He asked, suddenly not liking that idea at all. Tsunade shook her head;  
"No, no. I thought at first that there might be a problem with another village over him, but now it's been resolved and you don't need to hide him anymore. Just make sure you keep him with you_ at all times_, okay?" She instructed, then smiled.  
"And I asked someone to come over and help you out tomorrow."  
Naruto flinched;  
"It's not Sakura-chan, is it?" He asked carefully. Tsunade laughed.  
"No, it's not." And with that, she tossed him out into the hall and closed her door.

When Naruto woke in the morning, he noticed that there were a few things different about his house. For one,_ the door was back_. It was on it's hinges correctly and had no splintering like usual, but was new-looking and pained a deep green color. His floor had been cleaned, as in _swept_ and _mopped_ cleaned, and his books were all in order on the shelves as well as his scrolls. The blonde sat up and stretched, yawning as he did so, before climbing out of bed and looking into the kitchen. It was also immaculately clean, and the baby food was all stacked and, thankfuly, labled on the counter. His cabinets were full, upon closer inspection, and his fridge was full of fruits and vegetables. He scratched the back of his head and his face settled into a suspicious frown. _Who had done this?_ It wasn't Sakura, he knew that, but who? It couldn't be Kakashi, or Shizune, or Tsunade... so who was it?  
"Ah! Naruto, you're up. Would you like some pancakes?" A voice asked behind him. Naruto's face lit up and he spun around to face the man.  
_"Iruka-sensei!"_

* * *

_I'm sorry. I couldn't help but put everyones favorite Chunin in here! I mean come one, who doesn't love Iruka!? I know I love him!_

*Mou- sounds like moe, but is an expression of annoyance or irritation.  
**Baka- idiot.  
***tick- an anger mark. Y'know, the ones that look like plus signs.


	4. Chapter 4

(Naruto)  
Naruto hugged the older male with all his might, effectively smothering the chunin. The man smiled at his affection and patted his back awkwardly.  
"It's great to see you, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, letting go of the man only to hug him again. Iruka laughed;  
"Yes, it's nice to see you again. How've you been Naruto?" He replied, prying the reluctant boy off his midsection. Naruto laughed.  
"It's been weird! First Gaara died, and was brought back to life, then there was this weird baby, and Tsunade-baachan threw him out of the window, then she left me with him, then Sakura-chan got mad and chased me, then we-"  
Iruka put his hand up, stopping the excited rambling from the half awake blonde, but smiling nonetheless.  
"It seems you've had a lot to do, ne?" He asked, passing the boxer-clad boy and slipping into an apron. Naruto watched as he tied the faded olive fabric over his head and tied it in the back before turning with a smile.  
"So, what do you want for breakfast?" Iruka asked, and Naruto thought he saw sparkles in the mans good mood. He grinned;  
"Ramen!"  
Iruka darkened at that word and he raised a spatula in warning;  
"Real food, Naruto."  
The blonde laughed and scratched his whiskers in thought;  
"Fine, sensei. How about... uhm... I don't know..."  
Iruka sighed and rubbed his temples tenderly, this was going to be a long day...  
"I'll just make some ommletes and sausage and you feed the little one." He instructed, turning to fish some eggs out from the fridge. Naruto sighed and let his face rest in his palm.  
"Na, Sensei?" He called. Iruka wriggled, his head still in the fridge.  
"What is it, Naruto?" He answered.  
"What was the whole _'other village problem_' about the kid?" He asked, waving his hand in the air lazily. Iruka's head hit the shelf above him as he hastily removed himself from the appliance.  
"Oh that... Well, it seems as though he was found somewhere in the heart of Kusagakure, in a hidden lab carved into the face of a ravine. It seemed as though the village was going to try and take him, but it was a false alarm. They have agreed to give us full custody."  
Naruto nodded along with the story, and stood once the teacher stopped talking. Iruka was busy whipping eggs in a bowl with a whisk Naruto didn't even know he had. He shrugged and headed for the bathroom, snatching some clean clothes from his dresser on the way by and simply calling out;  
"Bathroom." to alert Iruka where he was.

As the cold water poured over his head, Naruto cracked his neck slightly, allowing the kink to straighten out. He then began to clean himself, carefully washing between his fingers and toes and shampooing his hair with the bargan brand from the local store. It smelled vaguely like citrus, he noticed, as he gently massage the golden locks upon his head. He sat there for a moment, enjoying the cool air swirling around the room before rinsing himself off and stepping into the bath. The water was hot, but not scalding, as he lowered his entire body into the liquid. Iruka, it seemed, had prepared the water beforehand and placed some sort of smelling salt inside because the air around him now reeked of mint. Thankfully, it wasn't overbearing and helped the young ninja to relax his muscles. He hadn't really had the chance since he had returned home from Suna and thrown into this whole baby mess. Which reminded him, the baby needed to bathe as well. Naruto sighed and stood, wrapping a towel around himself and stepping out of the bathroom to retrieve the boy. Iruka was still in the kitchen, placing sausages into a pan and almost lighting his sleeve on fire. Naruto grinned, and continued on to pick up the quiet child. It latched onto his front and watched Iruka carefully the entire way to the bathroom. Naruto ignored it and sat back down on the stool, dousing the child in lukewarm water and beginning to clean him. The boy let out soft cooing noises and leaned into the touch as Naruto massaged his head and hair, and Naruto smiled slightly. It was really cute, sort of like a cat. There was a knock on the door and Iruka's voice filtered in through the wood;  
"Naruto? I'm going to go out and grab some ramen, I kind of set both the pans on fire." He admitted, laughing in a strained tone of voice. Naruto laughed as well, much more at ease than his former teacher;  
"Hai, I'll be here!" He replied. There was a pause and Naruto swore he could see the glow of Iruka's joy as the man called out from the door;  
"Ittekimasu!"  
"Itterashai."

How long he and the redhead had been sitting in the bath, Naruto had no idea, but the child had already fallen asleep and he wasn't to far behind. He stretched slightly and rose from the tub, holding the boy close to his chest, and drained the dirty water. Gently, he laid the boy down on the rim and wrapped him in a towel before lifting him again and wrapping himself. The steam in the bathroom had covered the window in a think sheen of grey and Naruto decided it might be nice to open the thing for once. He set the boy down on the floor carefully and climbed up to the window, standing on the rim of the bath, and propped it open slightly, allowing the steam to float out and disperse in the wind. Naruto turned his head upon hearing something strange when Iruka's voice rang out in the quiet apartment;  
"Tadaima!"  
"Okaeri." Naruto replied, opening the door and stepping out, the child in hand. Iruka looked up from locking the door and notice the boy. The key fell to the floor and Naruto gently laid the boy on the table to pick it up. The older male blushed and rubbed the scar on his nose slightly, embarrassed at his own rudeness. Naruto handed him the key and smiled at the man before returning inside the bathroom and changing. He brushed his hair and placed the leaf forehead protector over his bangs tying the long strings behind his head before returning to the table. Iruka had already set out the bowls and chopsticks and stood waiting for the younger to return. Naruto smiled and scratched at his whiskers, blush creeping up over his cheeks. He had never been doted on like this in his whole life... and it made him so happy that Iruka was just spending the day with him, like old times. A tear leaked from the side of his eye and suddenly he couldn't hold it in anymore. He know it wasn't right for a shinobi to cry, and he knew he had cried for Gaara before, but now...  
"Naruto!?" Iruka reached out and placed a tenitive hand on the younger's shoulder, not knowing how to approach the situation. Naruto's hand came up and gripped the side of the Chunin's vest, the other wipping away at the never ending tears.  
"I-i'm sorry, Iruka-sensei... I just..."  
The older man smile, scar curving slightly as the kind face looked down at him.  
"There is no shame in crying, Naruto. It's something everyone must do at some point." He said quietly, gently rubbing the smaller ninja's arm. Naruto only cried harder, both hands now clenched in the green vest, his face buried in the tan males shoulder as he sobbed. Iruka knew he blamed himself for Gaara's death, and the death of the elder Chiyo, he had been informed by Kakashi after he volunteered to spend some time with Naruto; but he hadn't expected him to be this upset about it. He sighed, maybe it would be a good idea to tell him the news he had been given later...

* * *

(Tsunade)  
The fowlry tower was a pain to get into, walking up those twirling stairs just to tie some paper to a bird... but it had to be done. This news was much to important to send by ninja. Even ANBU weren't fast enough for this information, and she had to be sure no one found the contents. Something like this could start the third shinobi war! She finished the knot on the package tied to the hawks leg and sent it on it's way, hoping that they would understand the gravity of this situation and travel to Konoha as soon as possible. After all, it was his son. She sighed again, biting down on her thumbnail. There was no way she was getting any work done under these conditions, she was too stressed out at is was... Maybe she could stamp some forms, but that was only to consume her mind and not allow it to wander to the possible outcomes of this... situation. Shizune figited beside her, unknowing of what to do or say. She always had Lady Tsunade's best intersts at hand, and strive to make them a reality, but she seemed to make mistakes too often. Like the other day when she had called the Elders, or when she had lead Naruto to her office in hopes of getting back into her good graces...  
"Shizune!"  
The dark haired womans head snapped up and she almost dropped the pig in her arms.  
"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"  
"Go retrieve Sakura, I have something I want to discuss with her..."

* * *

(Iruka)  
He slurped another mouthful of noodles into his mouth and chewed carefully, making sure not to choke on anything. After all, you never knew what might happen around Naruto these days... He almost felt sorry for the boy...  
"Ne, Naruto?"  
The blonde looked up from his fourth cup ramen, noodles still hanging out of his mouth.  
"I met Shizune out on the street when I went walking, and she asked me to deliver a message to you."  
Naruto slurped the rest of the noodles and set the bowl on the table, eyeing Iruka suspiciously.  
"What_ kind_ of message?" He asked.  
" The _'Please tell Naruto-kun that he needs to come see Tsunade in her office in four days time, she will relay further instruction at that time.'_ kind of message." Iruka answered, taking another mouthful of ramen and chewing it carefully while Naruto downed the broth with a satisfied;  
"Goshisou sama!"  
Iruka smiled and finished his own bowl before taking the dishes to the sink and washing them.  
"So I was thinking that maybe you wanted to talk a walk with me and tell me about your training?" Iruka called from the kitchen while Naruto handed the child the rest of the icky brown food.  
"Sure! Then we can stop at Ichiraku!"  
Iruka smiled, same old Naruto... 

* * *

Kusagakure- The village hidden in the Grass.  
Ittekimasu- I'm off  
Itterashai- the response to 'I'm off'... forgot the translation.  
Tadaima- I'm back/home.  
Okaeri- welcome back/home.


	5. Chapter 5

_(Gaara)_  
It was near noon in the village of Suna, sun rising high over the endless sand dunes and scattered rock formations as the people went about their lives in peace. A peace which relied on the Kazekage, who was now sitting in his office signing document after document. While he was away and, well... recovering from _death_, lots of paperwork had filled the large wooden desk and it was now his job to smooth things over with some very impatient people. The agreements on the water treaty with another village had only just been unearthed and sent by the villages fastest bird in order to reconcile. Not to mention other written documents that had been sent in order to be issued as missions and such. Almost all his shinobi were out on request. Only his siblings and former mentor, Baki, remained in the village to assist him with his work and recovery. He'd managed to get at least half the paperwork done in the first half of the day only to be told to rest and not strain himself... This was starting to get extremely _inefficient_.  
"Temari, bring me that stack of papers." He ordered, his voice tired despite his face being completely devoid of emotion. She started to protest but Gaara manipulated his sand to carry the papers to his desk in her place and started to read and sign them. Mission orders that were already underway were just stamped while the other scrolls and papers were read thoroughly and signed in his own hand writing. Temari sighed;  
"Gaara, if you work to hard you'll only have to back to the hospital! You don't have that monster's chakra to heal you anymore..."  
Gaara looked up at her and she turned away, apologizing and carrying more paper over for her little brother to sign.  
_"Kazekage-sama_!" A man burst in the door carrying a small scroll. The redhead looked up before reaching out his hand toward the man, allowing the small letter to be placed in his outstretched left hand. The sea green eyes scanned the paper quickly before standing;  
"Temari!" He called, eyes never leaving the scroll. The blonde woman stood straight and responded;  
"Hai!"  
"Go get kankuro,_ we're leaving_."

* * *

_(Tsunade)_  
It had been four days and Naruto stood before her in his normal orange and black outfit, carrying the child in a sling on his back. He grinned widely at the leader and scratched the back of his head with a short laugh. Tsunade allowed her thumbnail to rest against her ruby lips for a moment before removing it and turning to Sakura;  
"Sakura, go greet them at the gate. I'm sure they'll be here soon." She called. The pinkette nodded and hopped out the open window into the morning air. Naruto watched before turning back to the woman in front of him.  
"Who's coming over?" he asked, hands in his pockets. The woman turned to him and looked him up and down;  
"You'll see later, now go and wait patiently in the room down the hall."  
"You mean the _exam_ room?" Naruto asked slowly, not liking the idea at all. She nodded, sensing his apprehension.  
"Yes, but don't worry. We aren't doing any exams, It's only serving as a waiting room for today." She said.  
Naruto obeyed slowly, stepping out of the room and pausing before heading to the room right up the spiraling hallway. Tsunade nodded, now the only thing left to do was wait...

Sand was swirling in her office, and starting to take shape as a small male arrived in the center of the room. She stood and went to greet the boy, ruffling his hair like one would do to a child. From what she had heard, this kids childhood was _shit_, and he could probably use some affection...  
_"Hokage-sama, please remove your hand._" He said emotionlessly. She retracted her hand and went back to sit at her desk, motioning for him to sit in the chair opposite her. He obliged and removed the strange gourd from his back and set it down against his leg before sitting himself.  
"So I assume you understand the gravity of this situation." She asked. Gaara nodded and folded his hands under his chin;  
"I would like to know how it's possible for me to have a child. I have not done anything of that sort with anyone, _ever_." He stated, green eyes boring into her blue. She sighed;  
"Lets save that for the other parent to hear as well, for now I'll warn you of some things; first- this child does have some sort of... _third chakra_. Not only yours and the others, but a third and _strange_ chakra. Second- It has the ability to_ extract maternal feelings_ in that of the parents, this has been proven with the other parent as well, and lastly- your siblings _cannot_ come in with you. It will be just you and the other in the room with the child. Understood?"  
Gaara nodded.  
"Good. Then follow me."

* * *

_(Gaara)_  
Blue eyes met green as the two friends saw each other;  
"Gaara! What're you doing here!? Shouldn't you still be resting?" Naruto asked, setting child down and wandering over to the other redhead. Gaara looked up at him and only now seemed to register what he was saying.  
"Naruto...?" He replied, in that slow, wondering way, "You are the other_...?_" He asked. Naruto's smiled faded.  
"Other what?"  
The noise of a microphone being turned on alerted them of the woman in the observing room behind the mirror at the far end of the room;  
"_Naruto, Gaara; This is your son."_ Tsunade spoke through the microphone, allowing them time to register what had just been said.  
"_WHAT!?"_ Naruto screamed, hand pulling at his hair; "_But I- I didn't! Gaara's a guy, he can't! I'm a guy- I can't!? Tsunade-baachan what!?"_  
Gaara only looked at the blonde and nodded back at the mirror, the child being forgotten for the moment;  
_"We broke into a lab in Kusagakure looking for information on Orochimaru, and we found this. That child is a hybrid of the two of you, I have derived from the tests that it is a mixture of both of your DNA and chakra placed in a tube and created by a machine that recreated birth and the child in womb. It was also discovered that this person was also mixing different Kekki-Genkai together. All of those experiments died before 'birth.'"_  
"How did they get our_ DNA_?" Gaara asked.  
"_Evidently there was traces of both of you on some equipment that was confiscate from the lab. It seems to be some strange sort of armor and a retractable sphere..._"  
Naruto's jaw dropped and he turned to Gaara; "The last time we fought together! When they trapped you!" He cried. Gaara nodded.  
"The artisans that wanted the Shukaku's chakra."  
Tsunade laughed behind the mirror and they heard the microphone click off as a small hand grasped Gaara's red pants. The kazekage looked down in surprise and was relived to find it was only the small redhead and not a threat. That relief soon faded when he recalled that this was his... their son. He stared at the boy as he stared back. It was a strange, forgein experience for Gaara... he had never been this close with a child before...  
"You can pick him up Gaara." Naruto said, trying to break the silence. Gaara looked up at the other male, a look of loss behind his mask of indifference. Naruto, however, sensed this and picked up the boy, gently holding him to his chest, displaying to Gaara the way to hold him before stepping to that they were almost touching and placing the pale hands on the small body and pressing boy into Gaara's chest. He held the boy for a moment before looking to Naruto;  
"Does he have a name?" He asked. The blonde shook his head.  
"No, I didn't think I should name him cause I though someone else was gonna take him." He said sadly before perking up again; "But now we get to keep him!"  
Gaara looked back at the child before turning back to Naruto;  
"Do you have any ideas what to name him?"  
Naruto scrunched his face up in concentration for a moment before crying out;  
"Menma!" Then frowned; "No, I already named a guy that from years ago..."  
Gaara shook his head. He didn't like the name anyways...  
"How about... Nara! Its a mixture of Na-ruto and Gaa-ra!"  
Gaara thought about this before smiling slightly. That sounded like a good idea to him,_ Nara..._

When the two came out of the exam room with a child, Temari and Kakuro's jaws dropped and they found themselves holding back a lot of questions as the Kazekage held up a hand and entered the Hokage's office once more, leaving Naruto with his siblings and carrying a silent Nara inside with him. He closed the door behind him with his sand and sat down at the desk, setting the smaller redhead down in his lap. The woman spun in her chair and she smiled at the man before speaking;  
"So what do you plan to do with the boy?" she asked, "It's not like you can come live here..."  
"True, and I am sure Naruto would turn down the idea of splitting time and having him travel between villages... as well as the idea of sending him to a better home." Gaara replied.  
"Then there is only one option left."  
"Indeed."

* * *

(Naruto)  
"So what's with the kid-jan?" asked Kankuro for the _thirtieth time_ and Naruto felt the tick on the back of his head grow.  
"Dammit Kankuro! You'll find out when Gaara tells you! Right now, I can't say anything." It was semi-true. He didn't know if Gaara wanted them to know about the boy and how they were his parents yet, nor did he know how to explain it like the Kazekage would. So he kept quiet... for three whole hours. It was killing him! He hadn't even _eaten_ since he got here earlier, and what could they be talking about in there that took three hours!? He sighed, knowing that he couldn't just leave in case Gaara or Tsunade-baachan needed him when they came out. Temari had wandered off an hour ago and Kankuro was snoring in the hall next to him as he dozed off himself...  
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I will have the answer to your question by tomorrow. Goodnight."  
Naruto was shaken from his slumber as the redhead finally emerged from the office. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the small, circular window. It was evening already! How long had he slept? Gaara looked down at his friend and held his hand out for the larger male and helped him to his feet, handing the small, sleeping child over to the blonde. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Naruto smiled;  
"Hey, Gaara, have you eaten?" He asked.  
"No. I have not." Gaara answered. Naruto grinned wider and snatched the leaders wrist, dragging him towards the exit.  
"Good! Then I'll treat you to some ramen!" He cried.

Naruto pulled Gaara into the shop and sat down on one of the seats, Gaara following and sitting next to him.  
"Jii-chan! Gimme a bowl of pork ramen!" He cried, grabbing two pairs of chopsticks and handing one to Gaara. The redhead took it and thanked the blonde as they snapped them apart. Naruto's were broken, leaving the end of one chopstick attached to the other, while Gaara's split cleanly.  
"I will have the same as Naruto..." Gaara said, and the man nodded and went to making the dishes.  
"Whoa!" Naruto cried, "How did you do that?"  
Gaara looked over at him, raising a nonexistent eyebrow. Naruto pointed to his chopsticks.  
"Break them evenly?" Gaara confirmed, receiving a nod. He paused to think as the bustling noises of the street and boiling water and soup filled the silence he created before he looked back at the blonde;  
"Luck." He answered simply, making the whiskered teen laugh and reach for another pair;  
"Here break these."  
Gaara took them and placed them back in the container;  
"Let's not waste them, Naruto." He murmered, as two bowls were placed in front of them and Naruto snatched his own utensils and cried;  
_"Itadakimasu_!" and slurping the noodles happily. Gaara watched for a moment before he saw the boy, Nara eyeing the noodles. So he broke off a piece of his own and gently extended it to the smaller redhead, holing it expertly in his chopsticks as the boy reached out from Naruto's lap and... _fell_.

The two lay in a heap on the ground, Gaara face first in the sidewalk with Naruto's form draped over his own body as Nara lay still in the leaders arms. Naruto picked himself up off the younger male and gently lifted Nara from his arms and set him on the ground before reaching out and helping the other off the ground. A few people had stopped to see what was happening, but most had moved on now as the two stood and wiped themselves off and climbed back into their seats after strapping Nara into the sling on Naruto's back. They finished their dinner in silence and Naruto paid the man, eating only two bowls of ramen. Gaara thanked him and the two set off walking two different directions. They both stopped and turned, wondering why the other wasn't following anymore.  
"My house is this way." Naruto said, pointing.  
"I have been told I am staying in the guest home..." Gaara said, then blinked. Naruto laughed and joined his friend and started to walk beside him.  
"You don't know where it is, do you?" Naruto asked. Gaara said nothing, but continued to walk beside the blonde with a small smile on his face. They walked like this for a while before Gaara turned to Naruto and met his gaze.  
"_Naruto... come back to Sunagakure with me? For Nara...?"_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm so sorry for the wait, and I won't make excuses. Please enjoy.**_

* * *

(Naruto)  
There was a moment of silence as this sunk into Naruto's mind. Suna, the village in the sand, a desert...  
"I... I'll go." He muttered, clenching his fist and looking down; "For Nara, I'll go."  
Gaara's eyes seemed to soften at this and he reached out to touch the blondes shoulder in a comforting manner only pull away. The two stood a moment, before Naruto looked up and smiled brightly at the redhead. A small, almost unnoticeable smile appeared on the Kazekages lips as he turned and started walking again. Naruto, momentarily stunned by the new expression, regained his senses and ran to catch up to the smaller teen.

* * *

(Gaara)  
The look of shock on Kankuro and Temari's faces was enough to make Naruto laugh, clutching his stomach and pointing as the young one, Nara, watched in silent amusment.  
"What do you mean, your kid!?" Kankuro cried, " I didn't know you had time to-"  
Temari jabbed him in the ribs;  
"Don't be stupid, he just said that it was an experiment that did it. Not to mention it's Naruto's baby too." She hissed, obviously angry at what her brother was about to say. Gaara, on the other hand, had turned away from them and was now standing next to the blonde, who was talking animatedly and waving his hands in impressions of the siblings. As they watched, Naruto gently picked up the child and handed him to Gaara, bodies almost touching as they exchanged the precious package. Naruto grinned as Gaara brought the small redhead over to his siblings and transferred it to Temari. The blonde kunoichi's features softened as she held the small child in her arms, rocking it back and forth.  
"Does he have a name?" She asked, running her hand through the short, silky, red hair. Gaara nodded and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the overexcited ninja behind him;  
"Yeah! His name is Nara! Like a mix of Gaa-ra and Na-ruto! Nara!"  
She looked to Gaara for conformation, and he nodded slowly.  
"Yes, his name is Nara. We will be bringing him back to Suna with us, as well as Naruto."  
Kankuro, who was making faces at the now smiling child froze.  
"You mean that idiot is coming?" He asked in a slightly teasing manner. Naruto frowned.  
"You got a problem with that, paint-face?" He shouted, lunging. Gaara's sand caught him 'round the feet and the tan face hit the wooden floor with a loud thump. The two siblings winced as the blonde pushed himself up slowly.  
"Naaa, Gaara! Why'd you do that!?" He whined. Gaara looked down at him calmly.  
"You might have hurt Nara." He stated plainly, his sand returning to the gourd located in the corner of the room. Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor and pouted, face in his hand, as Temari stood.  
"Well, if that's the case, when are we leaving?" She asked. Gaara looked at her, then paused.  
"Tomorrow morning, before dawn. We must be back in Suna before the meeting of the counsil..." He said, then held his hand out to Naruto, helping the younger male to his feet.  
"I'll go back to my apartment and grab my stuff, then I'll meet you guys at the gate in the morning?" He offered, releasing the leaders hand and dusting himself off. Gaara nodded.  
"We will keep Nara with us tonight, he will sleep in Temari's room."  
Naruto looked a little put off by this, but let it go as he turned and made his way to the door, followed by Gaara. The blonde sat down and slipped on his sandles before standing and turning to his friend. Blue eye's met green and Naruto paused, forgetting what he was going to say and instead smiled at the other male. Gaara looked at him impassively, watching as he left before turning back around and wandering into his quarters.

* * *

(Naruto)  
The picture of team seven was shoved into a pack, along with his clothing and bathroom accessories as he packed what he may need. It was a very lonely feeling, having just gotten home before having to leave it again. At this point he didn't even know if he would ever see it again. The blonde paused in his search, setting down the training scroll and looking out the window. He wondered if he would ever see his friends again. Kiba, Shikamaru, Kakashi-sensei and Sakura, Neji and Hinata, even Shino... These were all important people to him now, part of what he considered a family. This was his chance to extend that family, to make new friends and comrades who he could fight for and protect and who would do the same for him... maybe even a chance at having a real family, one who loved eachother and had that bond... He shoved a scroll in the bag and left the rest sitting on his floor, standing and making his way to the clock located on his bedside table. It was almost two in the morning, almost time to leave again. Almost time...

When Naruto arrived, the three siblings were already there, Temari and Kankuro looking a little run down. The blonde waved to them, joining the four as they started to walk. He situated himself next to Gaara, walking on the end with his hands laced behind his head and a fuzzy look on his face.  
"Ohiyo!" He greeted. Gaara nodded to him and the other two simply continued on walking. Naruto watched them a moment, his eyes squinted and lower lip out in a slight pout, before turning back to Gaara.  
"Did I miss something?" He asked quietly. Gaara looked at him, then back at the road in front of them.  
"No. Nara kept them up last night, he wouldn't sleep." He responded blankly.  
"Really? He always sleeps the whole night through when he's with me. I wonder what it was... Did he cry?" He asked, looking to the two siblings at the end. Kankuro's bottom lip jutted out slightly as he looked away.  
"No, he was just staring at us. It was unnerving..." Temari muttered, handing the small redhead over to Naruto. Naruto held Nara to his chest and smiled as the small boy began to mess with the string of his headband with a happy noise. The older redhead's head turned a fraction and Naruto could feel his eyes on him, watching. His neck began to tingle as the sea green, pupiless eyes seemed to focus on it for a moment before returning to the road ahead. No one else seemed to notice Naruto's sudden uncomfortableness as they continued onward. His footsteps were slowing, he noticed as he watched the three siblings backs starting to procede his own. It was unnerving, the gate of Konoha behind him, no longer his home... His stomach was churning now. He wanted to turn around and go back to his apartment, back to Iruka and Kakashi-sensei, back to Sakura and Tsunade-baachan... back to what he knew. He could feel sweat starting to form on his forehead as he shook his head and looked up.  
"Naruto?" Gaara had stopped only a few feet from him and was looking back with a look of almost worry upon his deadpan face. Temari and Kankuro stopped walking and turned as well.  
"Are you alright?" Gaara spoke again, his voice almost soft as he took a step closer to the blonde and their son. Naruto attempted a smile, nodding.  
"Y-yeah. It's just..." His hands had gone clammy.  
Gaara waited for the rest of his unfinished statement, a look of loyalty on his face. He wanted to help him, Naruto realised slowly. He was worried about him, treating him kindly...  
"It's just new. I've never lived anywhere but here, it got to me for a second." Naruto said, chuckling weakly and starting to walk again, handing Nara to Gaara as they resumed walking side by side. 

* * *

He could feel it again, the eyes on him... although this time they seemed to linger on his chin as he drained the last of the water into his dry mouth. It was now near noon and they were only an hour into the desert, the seemingly endless sand dunes spanning into forever in all directions. This was their first stop, requested by Naruto as he had begun to overheat. Nara, who was tucked into a sling on Naruto's back was asleep, constantly watched by Gaara who would follow him in their now regular pattern of travel. Temari and Kankuro insisted that they be at the back of the group incase of an attack. This seemed to be a god idea because Gaara agreed and insisted that Nara be in the center of the group for better protection. Naruto supposed this meant that attacks were regular in this area...  
"Naruto, put this on." Temari called, tossing a sand-colored cloak to him and slipping one on herself.  
"It blocks some of the sand." Kankuro offered, his own already sitting over his shoulders and puppet scrolls. Naruto followed suit and slipped his over himself, making sure to cover the young redhead fully.  
"Okay, if your all ready, we can go-" Naruto started, pausing when he felt his cloak being lifted. His head snapped around to the left and was surprised to find Gaara, or rather the top of Gaara's head. Naruto didn't even need to ask, he knew what Gaara was doing. He was giving him some water so they wouldn't have to stop again in the middle of the desert. They all waited a moment for the young leader to finish before Naruto overheard Temari spoke quietly to Kankuro;  
"This is the sweetest i've ever seen him, do you think somethings wrong?" She muttered, hand over the side of her mouth that faced the others as if it would keep them from hearing.  
"No, I didn't notice anything really different about his personality, he's just nice to the kid-jan." Kankuro replied, not bothering to whisper, he knew the others could hear them anyway. Temari sighed and rested her hand on her hip as she turned back to the blonde and the redhead who had just finished replacing his water in his pack. Green eyes looked up and the siblings nodded, setting off on the next leg of their journey through the desert.

The village of Suna was towering above the small group as they entered in the small crack in the strange rocks. It had taken another four hours of running to get here from when they last stopped and, as much as he hated to admit it, he was tired and a little bit sore. He jogged a little to catch up to Gaara, who now lead the way, and leaned over closer to the redhead.  
"Na, Gaara?" He muttered almost quietly. Gaara spared him a glance, his way of replying. Naruto grinned.  
"Where'm I stayin'?" He said, half yawning. The redhead looked at him, almost questioningly;  
"In my home."


End file.
